FOUNDER’S NOTE

Knowing the Joys of Reading is Nothing Short of Having a Superpower

You may be a young person who likes the idea of reading, but the actual act of it reminds you of a chore. If so, please know that you are neither alone, nor is this a reflection on your intelligence.

There is a lot we don’t yet fully understand about the connection between digital media use, societal changes and education. But the numbers clearly tell us this: an increasing number of teenagers do not find reading exciting.

Studies are also telling us another common story. Reading levels in elementary school show progress, but then come to a sudden halt as students enter teenage years.

Teenagers are telling us that lack of choice in reading materials at school is a major turn off. Prescribed literature tends to be boring, depressing and unrelatable. In many cases, students are required to underline and analyze texts while reading. This might sound like a good idea, but work against the joys and benefits of reading: the chance to get lost on the pages of a story.

The goal of Teen Readers Society is to help as many young people as possible discover the joys of reading. It is as simple as that. If you are a teenager and you wish you liked to read, but don’t quite know how to get started, you are at the right place and we are so happy you are here. We don’t care how you got here or where you come from and we don’t care how many books you have read so far. We do hope, however, that you are here with a curious mind.

We will not measure our success only by how many books you read as you follow us. We would rather know you laughed and cried your way through a fantasy novel than knowing you suffered through five classics.

Why do we care? Because we strongly believe that reading and books change lives for the better, that reading is fun and gives you superpowers for life.

Here are the facts behind why we call finding the joys of reading a superpower:

The more you read, the better you will read. This leads to higher academic achievement and in turn to higher levels of professional and financial success.
More reading will make you a better writer and a better speaker. Two additional elements of academic and professional success.
Reading for pleasure leads to a natural path to want to engage with stories and texts. This creates a predisposition for lifelong learning, which then leads to increased social mobility. In other words, reading gives you a chance to accomplish more regardless of what your goals are.
Reading reduces stress levels. It may even work better than listening to music or taking a walk. (Not that those are not great.)
Reading for pleasure allows you to go on adventures within the comfort of your home and travel back and forth in time.
Reading allows you to immerse yourself in someone else’s life. This increases empathy, a better understanding of yourself and the world around. We can all use a break from ourselves from time to time.
Reading sparks conversation. It will lead to human connection and community and will make you a more interesting person.
Reading will help you become an engaged citizen. It will help you exercise your voting rights to your benefit and to the benefit of your community.

If you are unsure where to start, our advice is simple. Find a book, any book that you enjoy reading. It does not matter if it’s not War and Peace. It does not have to be a book other people told you, you should read because it will make you smart. If the pages become hard to turn, look for another one. If you are unsure what to read, follow us closely as we will be showing you ideas that will surely spark your interest. Reach out to us and to the TRS community with questions. Teen Readers Society is a growing community of young people and chances are they will lead you to books you have not come across at school. If you want to read, but don’t have access to books, contact us through our contact page.

Thank you for being a part of Teen Readers Society.

Judit Langh